Logan's Christmas Gamble
by Josielynn
Summary: A few years after graduating from college, Logan asks Veronica for a huge favor. He gets her to agree to help but what will happen when he tells her his real plan? Will his gamble pay off? Of course I don't own any of the characters...
1. Chapter 1

Logan, noticing the brief lull in the conversation, looks away from his discussion with a few of his coworkers across the large room to the entrance of the ballroom. He sees that a few of the guests are watching a new arrival with interest. His gaze travels to the blond woman standing there looking around. She is wearing a stunning short deep violet dress; slightly off the shoulder plunging modestly in front but definitely figure hugging. Her hair is pulled back from her heart-shaped face and falls in curls from a decorative diamond clasp at the back of her head.

A smile breaks out over his famous features and he excuses himself to walk over to greet the newcomer. When he reaches the doorway, the petite blond notices him and smiles in recognition. He greets her loudly enough for the guests at the side of the ballroom closest to the door to hear, "Sugarpuss."

Frowning in annoyance at the nickname, the blond takes a few steps to meet the tall, dark-haired, handsome man. She lightly complains, "Logan, you know I don't like to be called…" The group watching sees the look of distaste that crosses her face as she speaks the word, "Sugarpuss."

His smile growing, Logan teases, "Oh, excuse me. Perhaps you would prefer, 'Babycakes?".

Obviously exasperated the blond answers immediately, "Ah, no!" Veronica knowing him well sees the twinkling in his eyes and knows that he is not done. Wisely she speaks before he can continue, "I thought we agreed on no nicknames,"

He smirks and says as if he is having a eureka moment, "Oh I know what name you love." Before he can finish she reaches up to cover his mouth. He pulls his mouth away and gets out, "Beautiful."

The crowd has to smile at his teasing. Many of them work with him and know he is irrepressible. He will do and say most anything without any trace of embarrassment. Speculation on what the woman who captured the rich, confirmed bachelor will be like is rampant at the office since Logan announced his engagement suddenly two weeks ago. Now tonight his fiancé is due back in California from a business trip and they are going to get to meet her.

They can tell the tiny blonde thought he was going to say something embarrassing and personal and they have to laugh at the half exasperated, half girly expression on her face as she deals with her problematic fiancé. As they watch she steps up and tucks her hand in his arm. She looks up at him and smiles, "That is more like it."

Logan's coworkers standing close by get their first view of the engagement ring. It is magnificent! On her small hand the center diamond looks huge and is showcased by the multiple diamonds around it and the intricate platinum setting. Rumors about the size of the diamonds and the cost of the ring have been rampant. Some stories have Logan using his mother's engagement ring and others have him spending a million dollars to have the stones in her ring brought in from South Africa. He puts his hand over hers on his arm and leans down to kiss her hello. He says as he stands back up, "I still like Sugarpuss."

She giggles a little and looks up at him shaking her head, "I'm sorry I am late. My plane was delayed."

Easily he tells her, "I'm just glad you are back home. " He pauses looking down at her adding, "I've missed you."

Shaking her head as if she can't believe it, she admits, "Surprisingly, I miss you when I am gone."

"Of course you do," he pronounces arrogantly causing his fiancé to laugh.

Gently he leads her over to a group of his coworkers and tells her, "I'll introduce you around and then I will buy you a drink."

Leaning into him a little as they walk, she squeezes his arm and answers, "Sounds good."

For the next few minutes Logan walks Veronica around the room introducing her to his coworkers and their significant others. It is a company party to celebrate the best summer sales the company has ever had. Logan invariably remembers everyone's name and something important about them. He is charming, funny and his coworkers are immediately aware of how happy Logan is with Veronica. He is more animated and his eyes sparkle with humor around her.

Logan's coworkers learn that Veronica works for the western branch office of a company none of them recognize the name. When asked about the company she merely states that she works in analyzing management structures. Only a few discerning people notice that she quickly and easily changes the subject from her work. They are a striking couple obviously comfortable with each other; obviously close. Most of them there know her history with Logan in Neptune and how they broke up in their freshman year in college and Veronica moved to Virginia and Logan moved to LA.

During discussions on how they got back together, Logan teasingly tells his coworkers that he saw Veronica again when visiting mutual friends. His close coworkers know that he went to a friend's graduation and met her again. Since that time they have dated and recently got engaged.

Veronica laughs when asked about how Logan proposed and merely states that no one can plan an evening like Logan.

He admits that Veronica loves to sail so took her out on his yacht. Veronica leans a little into Logan and shares, "When we got back to the marina, Logan had rented a room at the yacht club and our friends and family were there to celebrate with us."

When asked if he got down on one knee and proposed, she smiled up at Logan and says, "He did." She teases, "I remember him crying."

The group all laughs and Logan smirks at her and quips, "Watch out or I will insist on writing my own vows."

Veronica grimaces playfully and the group is amused at the thought of what Logan would write and certainly have no problems saying out loud. She immediately backs down and says dutifully, "Logan's proposal was more romantic than Romeo and Juliet." The group laughs at how Logan and Veronica tease each other.

Logan's only comment is, "Damn right."

Confidently and comfortably, Logan leads Veronica over to the bar and orders her a glass of wine and another scotch for himself. He looks down at her while they wait for the bartender to serve them. She looks up at him and he is very pleased to see the twinkle in her eyes. He can see she is enjoying this party and of course, messing with him.

Veronica came back to Neptune for Wallace's and Mac's graduation last year. Logan also attended and they decided to be friends. They talked at least once a week on the telephone and emailed often.

Not dating anyone herself Veronica agreed to go with Logan to Keith and Alicia's wedding six months ago. They got along great and an enterprising reporter took their picture together. There was some talk in the tabloids about them getting back together.

A few weeks ago Logan became aware of the opportunity in the company he worked for to buy in and become a partner. He called Veronica and talked to her about the opportunity. She was excited for him. He shared with her that the biggest stumbling block for the other partners was his playboy image and his history.

Of course Veronica pointed out that he could date more conventional women and improve his reputation. Logan had laughed and told her that at least the starlets were honest that they wanted him for his money and image. After a pause he says, "Besides I don't want any more Hannahs or Parkers. "

After a long, uncomfortable pause, Logan dryly told her that he hasn't really met anyone that even wanted to know the real Logan. He had pointed out that only two women ever really knew him; she and Lilly. They had a nice conversation about their past relationship when Logan pointed out that although they had many issues between them, money and honesty were not among them. Pensively he told her that he had come to realize that their relationship didn't really have a chance back then. Veronica had seen his point. She agreed that normally relationships had a break even chance of making it. With all that each of them had to deal with and all they had to deal with together, it had made their relationship impossible. They both felt more comfortable with each other after that conversation. They were ready to be friends.

He had mentioned that he needed to get a more stable home environment to impress his potential partners at least until he was offered a senior partnership. Puzzled Veronica questioned, "I thought you ruled out dating a nice girl."

Logan had laughed stating, "Ronnie I already know a girl I can trust and who my future partners will believe could tame me."

Catching on she said, "No Logan. I will not pretend to be your girlfriend."

He ignores her objections and adds, "Of course we would have to be engaged."

He smiles at her shriek of surprise. She says, "I am out of the paparazzi notice now. I am not going to jump back in by pretending to be your fiance.'

He continues on as if she hadn't spoken, "It would have to be for at least three months while negotiations were continuing." He adds pensively, "You would have to attend a few company parties and then go out with me when I am with my coworkers."

Veronica interrupts with what she feels is a deal breaker, "Logan, I don't even live in LA."

"You should move here,'' he tells her and then continues, "Your family and closest friends are here and the FBI has a LA office." He adds as he thinks aloud, "You can't tell me that the LA office wouldn't jump at the chance to have you."

Veronica reluctantly admits, "They have offered me a good package to transfer but I am happy here."

On a roll, Logan continues, "You could move in with me. I have lots of room."

It had been difficult to get her to agree but Logan had been persistent. He had offered to pay for her moving expenses, had thrown in a shopping spree, enlisted the help of Mac and Wallace and had finally flown out to see her in person. Veronica allowed herself to be persuaded because she did miss her dad, her friends and LA. After agreeing to the move, she had informed her temporary fiancé that she would have her shopping spree in New York before she came. Logan had encouraged her to get a new wardrobe reiterating he would happily pay because she needed more clothes for the time she posed as his fiance. She had smiled a little scarily and commented, "Oh, you'll pay."

Logan had glossed over the darker meaning and said, "Snookums, I love how you dress but you will be invited to some dinners and parties and new dresses can be fun."

She had pinched his side and reminded him that there would be no nick names during their fake engagement. Logan had smiled innocently at her telling her that he wouldn't do anything to upset her while she was helping him out.

Not fooled she had closed her eyes, shaken her head and questioned, "What am I getting myself into?"

Laughing he encouraged her to just have fun with it. He felt it was a good situation for her to move to LA. She would enjoy the work in better weather and best of all she would be closer to her father and her friends. He would pay her moving expenses so she could save the money the FBI paid her to transfer and she would get a new wardrobe. As an added bonus she would live in his mansion, have her meals prepared, clothes cleaned and her room cleaned by his housekeeper while she saved her money for when she moved out after Christmas.

A couple of weeks later, Logan looked at the bill for her move and new wardrobe when his accountant sent him the monthly expense sheet. She had taken his encouragement to heart and it looks like she bought more than a few new dresses. There was a second large bill from a shoe store in New York. He tried not to think about the third bill from the lingerie shop.

Once on board with his plan, she had taken his advice of 'just have fun with it' to heart and she had been 100% for his plan. She had got a new wardrobe, transferred to the LA office and moved in with Logan in his new mansion. Since she moved back they had so much fun! Evenings when they were both home, they watched tv, movies, swam, played pool and darts and just generally enjoyed their time together. They were really becoming good friends.

The truth is Veronica is happy to be back in California and she is happy to help Logan get the promotion he has worked so hard for.

Now looking at her in the sexy new dress he was even more pleased that she took his invitation to get some new clothes to heart. She looked so put together and so hot!

He leans down and talks quietly in her ear stating, "You look so sexy in that dress."

Smiling up at him she says, "I am glad you approve."

"Mmm… I definitely approve," he leans in and nuzzles behind her ear and wraps his arm around her pulling her closer.

Veronica aware of how many people are watching plays her part. She closes her eyes and smiles a little and then when Logan continues it a little too long she giggles and playfully pushes him away from her neck. He smiles at her and how perfect she is playing his fiancé.

Two weeks ago he had taken her to dinner on his new yacht which he named, 'The Red Planet' and had given her 'the ring'. Reports of their romantic dinner , his proposal and the private party afterwards were endlessly discussed and replayed on the entertainment stations. The stories were accompanied by the first shots of her magnificent engagement ring which reportedly cost one million dollars.

Since that time speculation about their wedding along with stories of their colorful pasts together and apart were daily occurrences in the tabloids. Veronica and Logan seen often in public together just keep their sunglasses on and make no comments to the press.

At work Logan is obviously happy and excited that Veronica has moved back to LA and in with him. He privately tells his closest workmates that he would marry Veronica tomorrow if he could. The news travels around the office quickly.

The music starts while Logan and Veronica are standing in a group talking with one of the lead partners in the firm. A song by Rolling Stones comes on. Veronica excitedly squeals and turns to her handsome fiance, "I love this song, let's dance."

Logan looks at her in quick surprise but agreeably puts his hand out to go dance with her. George Freeman interrupts and suggests, "Perhaps I could have the pleasure of this dance."

Veronica immediately smiles at him and agrees, "That would be nice."

She leads him onto the dance floor and they dance. Veronica gets into the music and sings the words while she dances. She and George both obviously like the music and are really enjoying their dance. Logan watches a little bemused.

Veronica on the dance floor is talking about how she grew up on Rock music. He is impressed that someone so young knows the words to the songs. When the music changes from the fast paced Rock to a slower song, Veronica easily goes into his arms and they dance. George talks to her about seeing the Stones in concert when he was young. Veronica asks him about what the concert was like. George happy to discuss his favorite band, proceeds to describe the stage, atmosphere and tells her about getting arrested.

Entertained, she teases him about having long hair and wearing a t-shirt with a huge tongue on it. George laughs at her and easily acknowledges his youthful fashion choices.

She questions knowingly, "You still have that shirt, don't you?"

He throws his head back in laughter and admits he still wears it sometimes.

Logan watching Veronica dance, sing and generally charm one of the partners inwardly smiles. He knows she is not a huge old Rock music fan. She has obviously researched his future partners.

Logan says as he watches George laugh at another quip from his fiancé, "I can't have my girl showing me up in the dancing department; she would never let me forget it."

He puts his hand out for George's wife to dance, "Shall we?"

There are only a few couples dancing so the impromptu dance contest becomes obvious and most of the room watches. George is an accomplished dancer and Veronica really enjoys dancing with him. Logan has natural rhythm and took many lessons when he was young. Now he adds his own flair to the moves and the contest is close causing a lot of amusement to all four dancers. George's wife is impressed with Logan's dancing skills and really enjoys his teasing of her and of course, of his fiancé. Veronica's verbal shots back amuse George and he easily sees how this tiny blonde has no trouble keeping the outgoing Logan in line.

When the music slows, Logan easily admits that perhaps he was out danced but gallantly calls it a tie between Veronica and George's wife, Elizabeth. They change partners and Elizabeth is happy to be with her husband. Veronica melts into Logan's arms and the crowd sees that they talk easily and intimately when they are alone.

Logan drops his mouth close to her ear and says, "I like to make love to old Rock music." He adds suggestively, "It has a pounding beat."

Veronica's eyes twinkle as she looks up at him and she smartly tells him that the band in question makes her think of her father who loves them. Smirking openly she adds, "Mom told me that their first time was to one of their hits."

Grimacing a little he says, "Wow, that's a visual I won't be able to get out of my mind."

Laughing she snuggles a little closer in his arms and says obviously totally unapologetic, "Oh, sorry."

Logan pulls her closer and relaxes into their dance. She is so much fun to talk to and she lives to keep him on his toes. He loves that about her.

Part way through the romantic ballad, Veronica looks up and her gaze meets Logan's. They don't talk; they just gaze at each other. The crowd can see their passion for each other. The women envy Veronica and the guys can see that although Veronica is not as outwardly stunning as some of the women Logan has dated, Logan has deep feelings for her. He doesn't make any attempt to hide them. He is an arrogant young man and he makes no apology for that.

The partners had Logan checked out. His history had been of some concern but they soon realized that he is a highly intelligent young man who has learned to control his money and not let it control him. He smartly surrounds himself with people who are loyal to him and he trusts them totally. He has made some very savvy investments and has more money now than when he became a multimillionaire at eighteen. The board decided to make him partner despite his long and storied history. The truth is Logan Echolls is a smart businessman and a natural at marketing. When they offered him the partnership, he immediately accepted but surprising the board, he asked for a few months to get married before he started his new role as a senior partner.

Of course his request to hold his partnership until the New Year and keep it secret was granted but the senior partners are very curious to meet his fiancé. Now that they have met her they can see that Logan is very serious about her. He had openly admitted in their meetings that he has been waiting a long time to marry Veronica Mars and it is the most important thing in his life.

They see that Veronica is going to be a good partner for Logan. She is a strong woman in her own right and she is completely loyal to him. Veronica is almost a complete blank after she graduated from college. She went to Virginia and was recruited to the FBI. She has not worked as an agent though and her exact job description is vague. Right now she works in an office building in LA that is non descript and has no access for the general public. Logan, if he knows exactly what she does, never talks about it only generally stating she is an analyst.

A little later Veronica is talking to the wife of another partner. She has asked her about the fundraiser for the local blood bank. Veronica leans in and admits that a coworker was recently injured and she says very quietly, "He needed a lot of blood."

The woman seeing Veronica's upset moved closer and put her hand on her arm. Veronica continues earnestly, "The surgeon told us he wouldn't have lived if he hadn't received all the blood." She adds, "We all donated but we want to do more."

The woman seeing Veronica is serious talks to her about her job on the fundraising committee. She talks about the auction and dance. Veronica listens and asks questions from time to time. Finally she asks, "Are you still accepting donations for the auction?" The woman tells Veronica that they have to have the items finalized in two weeks. Veronica smiles and asks, "Could we meet for lunch next week? I have someone you should meet."

Logan smiles at Veronica's statement. He knows that she is going to secure items from his 09er friends for the auction. They exchange numbers and agree on a date to meet. He guesses Veronica is going to bring the man who got shot to meet her. It is typical Veronica that she would let the woman see who she has helped with her fundraising. Logan can see the woman is very impressed with Veronica and of course her husband is happy that someone is making his wife happy by listening to her about her pet project.

Logan is no slouch at knowing his coworkers. While they are taking a break from dancing, he parries a question about their marriage by saying, "You know we don't really even know where to start. Both of our mothers are not around and my sister lives in England." He gently pushes Veronica's hair back from her shoulder adding, "Ronnie's busy at work and I only know I want to be married, I don't have a clue what kind of wedding we would want."

A woman sitting at their table speaks up and says, "You need a wedding planner."

As Logan imagined, Veronica frowns and says, "I am not sure I want to work with a stranger on our wedding." She looks at Logan and says, "We would have to discuss it."

The woman easily says, "I am an event planner. I meet with the clients, give them some options and then once they know what they want, I make it happen for them."

Logan looks at her appraisingly and points out, "Our wedding will be a logistic nightmare with the paparazzi's interest in getting the story and Veronica's high government clearance to contend with."

The people at the table listen with interest. Most of them had not thought about how difficult it might be to plan their wedding. Veronica adds seriously, "Plus dealing with Logan and his friends can be ….. challenging."

The group at the table laughs but surprisingly Logan seems to agree. He nods and continues, "I have a security team that will want to know every detail and a lot of guests that will be invited to the wedding will have security teams that will need to know exactly what is going on."

"It is going to be crazy difficult to plan," Veronica bemoans. She adds, "I think we might just elope."

The table laughs at her way but inwardly they are surprised at how much work this wedding is going to be. The woman pulls out her business card and says, "We should talk. I can handle your wedding."

Logan looks interested and Veronica accepts the card, opens her purse, pulls out her phone and scans the card to someone. Logan just smirks at the reactions of the group at the table. Many of them have the scanning function on their phone but it is obvious that Veronica uses it frequently. He takes the card from Veronica and tells the anxious applicant, "We will call you once your company has received clearance from our security team." He meets her gaze and adds firmly, "We will give you first shot at our wedding."

The woman is thrilled as being the wedding planner for the wedding of the year in LA would be a huge boost for her business and career. She assures the couple, "I'll pass a security check."

Logan looks at her card and returns her smile. He drawls in a passable Humphrey Bogart, "This might be the start of a beautiful relationship." The table laughs. Logan puts the card in his wallet and puts his wallet away.

Logan's coworker watches as his girlfriend might have landed the most sought after wedding in the city. He smiles. She has worked so hard to get her own company off the ground and now, through his contacts, she might be on her way. He knows this might be the hardest she will ever work but he can see her excitement at the opportunity. He looks at Logan and Veronica and sees that they are really overwhelmed at planning the wedding. He can't imagine trying to plan your life with the press following you around.

Veronica is a little put out as she had not banked on having to actually plan the wedding. If they are going to break it off after Logan gets partnership, it will be best if it is not complicated with wedding planners and partly planned nuptials.

Perceptive, Logan sees Veronica is concerned about planning the wedding. He knows she is worried that their breakup will be more complicated if they are in the midst of planning the wedding. Inwardly he smirks because while she is planning on helping him for three months, he actually plans for them to get married.

He stands up beside her and then puts out his hand as he says, "Sugarpuss, let's head home." She looks up at him in surprise but easily takes his hand and allows him to pull her up to stand beside him. She grasps her small purse as she stands. The LoVe couple say their goodbyes and Logan walks with her towards the partner table. The group behind hears her say, "Sugarpuss Logan, really?"

Not at all put out by her annoyance he says, "Mmm.. we can discuss pet names at home."

His coworkers laugh as he is a handful to work with and they can only imagine how much he embarrasses Veronica. In the car Logan tells Veronica that they've been apart for two weeks and his co workers will expect him to leave early. He adds, "Plus not sucking up to the partners only make them want me more."

Veronica smiles in understanding. She tells him, "I had fun!"

Logan hugs her and keeps her close to his side. He says admiringly, "Me too. You were perfect in there."

Veronica smiles and shares, "Surprisingly you are not too hard to pretend to love."

Logan smirks and leans in nuzzling her neck. He puts his hand up behind her head holding her head in place and adds teasingly, "You love me."

Giggling she tries to push him away but he kisses her neck and then up behind her ear. Her eyes close and her protest dies. Encouraged, he kisses her.

A part of Veronica just sighs into the kiss. No one can kiss like Logan and he knows what she likes. Another part that she is not listening to right now is warning her that in three months she is leaving and she shouldn't be kissing him.

Feeling her response, Logan deepens the kiss transporting them both to their own little world. He wraps his arms around her pulling her into his body and feels her arms wrap around his neck.

Needing air and feeling slightly dizzy with all the emotions he is feeling, Logan breaks the kiss and puts his forehead to hers. They breathe the same air as they both try and control their accelerated heart and breathing rates.

He exclaims quietly, "Wow Veronica! I just love to kiss you."

A little surprised she looks at him and sees he is sincere. He continues, "Kissing someone says a lot. Sex is just the release but kissing is the true communication."

Veronica, in Logan's arms, pulls back a few inches and looks at Logan. She can see he truly believes what he is telling her. She has to admit that she has always loved kissing him. She loves his playful, fun kisses; his happy kisses; his passionate kisses and especially his 'I love you" kisses. He was really able to communicate his feelings when he kisses.

Logan seeing she is thinking about what he said points out, "When you are just having sex, kissing is not really important. The goal is for both of you to physically enjoy yourself not express any real emotions."

Gently caressing her cheek he tells her, "I felt more with you and I guess Lilly. I haven't felt real emotions with the others." Musing he says, "I like all your kisses." He adds, "I really do but I also like your touches. I like when you hold my hand and caress it when you are talking or listening to me. I like how you gently rub my abdomen or chest as you snuggle next to me and watch a movie or TV. I like how you rub my back when I am upset."

Pausing he thinks and then adds openly, "I guess I never had the loving touches." He knows Veronica understands his relationship with his parents. He continues, "Lilly didn't really like the touches." He knows Veronica understands his relationship with Lilly as well.

Pulling her into his arms he waits while she wraps her arms around him and then puts her head on his chest. He admits, "I loved making love with you Veronica. The sex was so much more because of the kisses and the touches." He sighs a little and finishes, "Our relationship was so much more because of the closeness physically and emotionally."

Veronica remains in his arms and says, "Logan I felt that too."

Logan just holds her. No matter how much he wants to tell her that he still loves her and wants to marry her for real, now is not the time to admit that he already got the partnership at work; without her. He has only told her he needs her to get the opportunity to be with her. He needs to let her see that he has changed. He is not that insecure teenager anymore. He doesn't take unnecessary chances and he is a productive member of society.

He needs to use the next few weeks to get her to understand that they can be together. He also needs the time to see if she can open up and let him totally in. He loves her but there is no point in having a relationship if she is still closed off to him.

In the meantime he is going to show her what being in a relationship with him would be like. So far he is thrilled and excited about how close they are becoming and how well they get along. Tonight they had a lot of fun and he was able to talk to her about how much more their physical relationship was than having sex; it was making love. He can see she understands what he is telling her. He also knows that she will think about what he said. That is enough for now.

_A/N: I couldn't resist writing a Christmas story. There are two more chapters to this short story. They will both be posted by Christmas. I hope you enjoy them._


	2. Chapter 2

_Story So Far: Logan persuades Veronica to move to the west coast and pretend to be his fiancé so he can get a desired partnership at work. She doesn't know that he plans their fake engagement to lead to a real marriage. _

A week later Logan is informed that Joanna Glenrock's wedding planner business has passed the security check. Logan immediately telephones her and makes an appointment. He tells her on the phone that he and Veronica want to get married before Christmas and gives her the date.

For a few heart stopping moments, Miss Glenrock feels her heart skip and almost stop in panic. How can she get a suitable venue for the ceremony and reception on such short notice? This is going to be impossible. When she tentatively mentions that a lot of the more desired venues are booked months in advance before Christmas, Logan calmly informs her that he has already booked the hotel rooms and ballrooms for the wedding. He names one of the most prestigious hotels in the city and gives her the name of the manager casually telling her that she will be dealing with him directly. The excited planner takes down the information and agrees to call him immediately. She listens in shock as Logan describes how he and Veronica will each have a suite at the hotel the day of the wedding to get ready and for their respective attendants to meet.

Carrying on with his ideas, Logan tells her that his friend Joel agreed to be head chef for the dinner. When he gives her his name, Joanna coughs a little and asks, "The Joel Patterson?"

In the shocked silence he says, "I actually am a silent partner in his restaurant but I would appreciate if you would keep that to yourself. I'll text you his number after we finish talking." Seemingly oblivious to the young woman's shock he finishes, "I told Joel there will be about 200 people there." Logan adds almost as an afterthought, "Oh yeah, one of my friends owns a winery and is going to provide the champagne for the dinner." He gives her a name and number to call.

Joanna taking down the information is blown away by Logan's ability to plan a big event. She says, "I was under that impression that you and Veronica had not thought much about your wedding."

Logan laughs a little and tells her that Veronica was busy with the move to California so he agreed to start booking their wedding. After a few seconds pause he explains further, "I have a lot more experience planning large events than Veronica does so I started the ball rolling. I want her to have the wedding she wants." He openly shares, "We haven't really discussed the actual ceremony or the dinner and dance. We will be relying on you to give us some good suggestions especially on themes and decorating."

Joanna writes down the information and agrees to talk to everyone on her list and get some options ready for Veronica for their meeting next week. She is temporarily stunned silent when Logan mentions that perhaps they could kill two birds with one stone and have their meeting at Joel's restaurant in one of the private rooms so they can sample the menu and make their choices for dinner. He adds before he says goodbye, "Maybe you can talk Daniel into coming for dinner as well. He can give us his opinion on what he would like to eat."

When the shell shocked wedding planner gets off the phone she sits in stunned silence for a few minutes and then she smiles. Getting to plan a function at one of the most expensive hotels in the city with one of the most sought after chef's cooking the dinner doesn't happen very often. As a bonus she will be able to unleash her creative side fully in a venue where cost is not an issue. She is going to enjoy planning this wedding.

At work Logan is his usual self. He is rumored to be the top prospect for senior partner. He keeps his private life close to his chest but does briefly mention places he and Veronica have gone. When they go out to the bar after work, Logan is oblivious to the women who want him. When it is pointed out to him, her shrugs and says, "I have better at home." His co workers are amazed at how eager Logan is to give up his bachelorhood when they could only dream about dating the women he has dated and having the money he has.

Saturday afternoon, Logan walks down the street with Veronica. She is happy to be back in California and obviously enjoys the pleasant fall weather. They both have their sunglasses on and are ignoring the press. They look comfortable together as they walk holding hands and talking about what they see in the store windows. Logan is looking for a gift for Trina for her birthday. Logan finally ordered a bracelet they both liked and arranged to have it delivered to her in New York.

Veronica sees a shop that sells candy and her face lights up in excitement. She stops Logan and pushes him through the door. He easily goes into the shop ready to enjoy Veronica's love of chocolate. When they come out they are carrying a couple of bags of treats and Logan is obviously amused. He has teased Veronica that the press is going to be on the bump watch. She has not been taking that news well.

The both ignore the looks recognition from people they meet or any paparazzi they see. Gently squeezing her hand as they walk together, he observes, "I think you will look totally sexy carrying my baby."

Unimpressed at his attempt to deflect her annoyance at speculation she is pregnant, she frowns stating, "If I see one article about me gaining weight, I will ruin whoever wrote it."

Laughing lightly at her anger he says, "A baby coming would cement my responsible image."

She looks at him a little incredulously. Logan lets go of her hand and wraps his arm around her waist pulling her close to his side as they walk. He shrugs, "Just saying."

When they get to his car he turns her back to her door and traps her between the car door and his body. He says, "I have an idea."

Veronica relaxes her back against the car door. She looks up at him and smiles. She teases, "Oohhh, should I be afraid?"

He smiles down at her and puts his arms on the car trapping her in his embrace. He leans in almost touching her body with his. "Duh, you should be excited," he informs her.

Her eyes sparkle in the bright sunlight as she flirts, "Excited?" She shakes her head negatively and adds, "No, more like bored."

He looks at her teasing expression and pretends to be offended. "Bored?" he slowly questions. "Oh I can make sure you aren't bored." Leaning in, he gently nuzzles her neck and then works his way up to her ear. He suggestively tells her, "I could make you cry my name."

She pushes him slightly away and looks up at him zinging, "Ohhh are you going to finally beat me at scrabble?"

Logan looks down at his petite fiancé. He is truly amused at her teasing and enjoys her laughter; she is so much fun! Logan leans in and kisses her. Immediately her laughter is quieted. She parts her lips and the kiss deepens. Logan doesn't lean in closer or grab her. They are just joined at the lips but the feelings between them are obvious.

When the video of their interaction is shown, the viewing public sees a couple obviously enjoying each other's company and the women watching sigh at the romance of a man who truly loves to kiss his woman. The public has watched Logan Echolls grow up and have seen him dating a variety of beautiful women. They have never seen him so obviously invested and in love.

When Logan leans back from their kiss, he enjoys the contended look on Veronica's beautiful face. He keeps his face close and whispers "Aren't you curious about my idea?"

Her smile grows and without opening her eyes she tells him, "I love your kisses."

A little surprised by her light tone and unexpected answer he guesses, "You are just on a chocolate high."

Opening her eyes she looks up at the only man how has ever made her feel so relaxed and happy. She stands up so she is in his arms and wraps her arms around his neck continuing to tease, "The foolish men who tried to ply me with liquor."

Laughing out loud at her humor, he agrees, "Idiots. They should have tried chocolate liquors."

Tilting her head back she laughs with him. He amuses her and is invariably fun and interesting to talk to. She enjoys her time with him thoroughly. Once she decided to move back to California, Veronica just elected to let go of her worries and hang ups; she has relaxed and just let herself be with Logan.

The result of her letting go of her worries about the past, his money and the unrelenting limelight, is that Logan has also relaxed and he is also just enjoying their time together. The fun and flirty side of Logan is very attractive to Veronica.

What Veronica doesn't really understand is that only she gets to see the happy, open Logan. Logan's coworkers see a young man that is definitely closed. The public rarely sees anything but a man with a face that hides his thoughts and feelings. When the tabloids publish pictures of Logan with Veronica, the public is interested because of his famous past and his name but they are intrigued to see behind the facade a little. They want to see the Logan behind the wall. When he is with Veronica they get to see his feelings and see him obviously happy.

She leans up and kisses Logan. It is an easy relaxed kiss. When she pulls away she says, "By all means please tell me your idea.'

He pulls her close and turns her towards the car door. Reaching back he opens the door and keeping one arm around her he directs her into the car. He says, "I'll tell you in the car."

She gets in and smiles at Logan as he shuts the door. He walks around his car and gets in his side.

As they drive back to the mansion, Veronica is adamantly stating, "Hell no!"

Logan expecting her negative reaction questions, "Why not? "

Frowning at this bland answer she says, "Because it is a huge waste of money."

"It's my money to waste," he quickly tells her.

Upset at his cavalier attitude Veronica agrees, "It is your money to waste but I don't have to be a party to it."

Logan seeing her upset cajoles, "Think of it as a business expense. It is an investment in my future. I will make it back tenfold as partner."

Frowning she says quietly, "It's not just the money."

Logan waits for her to finish her thought but she doesn't. He prods, "What else is it then?"

She bursts out, "It's bad enough that everything I say or do or wear is open for discussion…" She pauses and then collects her thoughts to continue, "Picking out a dress, flowers, reception; I can't imagine the criticism and speculation." Shaking her head she tells him firmly, "It is too much!"

Logan frowns as he thinks about what she is telling him and he is unhappy at her obvious upset. Firmly he tells her, "It's not their business. Just plan what you want and to hell with what the public thinks."

Veronica looks out the window as they drive. She finally shares, "I don't want to plan a public wedding. It would be a nightmare for me anyways. I could imagine planning my wedding with Lilly as my maid of honor. She would have loved all the details and the showmanship." She adds, "My mother would be good at it. Mac and I both despise that kind of thing." Looking away from him as he drives she lapses into silence.

Recognizing they are near to his mansion, Logan lets the conversation drop. He had not anticipated that Veronica would feel pain planning her wedding without Lilly and her mother. He needs to explore her feelings a little more and he really wants to be able to give the conversation his full attention so he doesn't say anything more until they arrive at home.

Logan understands Veronica Mars. He knew she will not be happy to waste a lot of money and she will not like to be on display. What Veronica doesn't understand is he has no intention of losing this argument. He really needs her to plan her perfect wedding with Joanna. When he does convince her to go through with the marriage, he doesn't want to waste a minute with the planning. In a few short weeks, he wants to marry her and be together for real. He is determined that their wedding day be everything she ever dreamed.

When they arrive at home, Logan pulls into the garage. He quickly gets out and goes around and opens her door for her. When she gets out of the car, Logan reaches down and takes her hand. He stops her from walking into the house by pulling her by her hand close to his body and then wrapping his arms around her to hold her there.

He looks down at her without speaking gauging her mood. After a few moments he gently moves her hair pushing it behind her ear. He then gently caresses her cheek. Finally he meets her gaze and says, "Ronnie you have been amazing transferring to the LA office and moving in with me." He pauses and then says, "Please don't think I am not really grateful for what you are doing for me."

Immediately Veronica loses her upset. Logan's gentleness with her and his acknowledgement of how much she is helping him disarms her. This promotion is important to Logan; he is invested emotionally in his career and she is proud of how well he is doing. He is truly her closest friend and he has always been there when she needed him and will always be there in the future for her. It is time for her to be there for him.

She sighs and says, "I know you are grateful Logan and I know that you would be there for me if I needed you." Pausing she finally sighs again and says, "It's just that meeting with the wedding planner is more than I bargained for."

Logan continues to gently caress her running his hand behind her neck. He says, "Let's go inside and I'll explain what I am thinking to you."

She nods and then leans into him as he puts his arm around her and walks with her into the kitchen. Logan gently nudges her towards the living room saying, "I'll bring us in something to drink and we'll talk." He takes the bag of chocolate and heads over to the refrigerator. Veronica dutifully walks towards the living room.

Logan hands her a bottle of water and then sits beside her on the couch. He watches as she opens the bottle and takes a drink.

He says, "You know as well as anyone that my life will probably always be tabloid news." He checks her face and sees she does understand what he is saying. He continues, "I think that if I just keep my life quiet and relatively uneventful, the unrelenting public interest will die down."

Seeing her frown of disbelief he says, "Think of it this way; my parents were famous and sought out the limelight. The interest in me is because of the constant pictures and mostly because of the constant interviews."

Veronica thinks about what Logan is telling her. He thinks that since he refuses all interviews, the interest in his life is much less than his more outgoing famous parents.

He goes on. When I do marry my family will be away from the press most of the time. I think that eventually interest in them will only be superficial and hopefully less newsworthy. Eventually the Echolls name will become an occasional story about the past with notes that Trina is still doing movies or whatever she decides to do and I am quietly living away from the Hollywood scene as a partner in a prominent advertising firm. The public wont' be interested in a man who is married with children who are living the life of rich 09er type brats."

Logan watches her closely and can see she is thinking about what he is telling her. He gently reminds her, "You knew a lot of wealthy families at Neptune High. Not all of them had the paparazzi following them around everywhere." He adds, "Hell even Lilly was able to get away with her escapades because the press weren't' interested in reporting on her life."

Veronica nods in agreement. She summarizes, "So you feel that someday you will only be of interest to the public as a part of a respective on your parents and even that will fade as time goes on and more current stories take the public interest."

Logan nods and says, "Already there are times that my picture is taken and it doesn't appear in the tabloids. More tabloid worthy and seeking people are used instead." He can see that she hadn't thought about his public reputation as fading already and if he keeps a low ordinary profile it would eventually fade into just another rich man's image.

"I am sure that the cases you work on now are just as noteworthy as the ones you solved as a PI but the public is not as interested in Veronica Mars' investigative abilities because you are not solving your best friend's murder and exposing a famous actor's murderous tendencies…" He adds, "You are no longer the teenaged girl who with her PI father solved the bus crash, caught the Hearst rapist and the Dean's murderer. You are still catching criminals but you aren't in the papers anymore."

Nodding absently as she thinks about what he is saying Veronica tucks her legs up under her and leans into the soft cushions on the back of the couch.

He recognizes that she is getting ready to really talk to him so he leans into the cushions as well continuing to face her and stay close. She is always able to confide more fully in him if he is close and touching her. He puts his arm along the back of couch effectively putting her in a loose embrace and creating a little area of intimacy. He gently plays with her hair as he waits for her to think about what he has said.

After a few minutes she says, "I guess I just always assumed that the press would be interested in your life."

Logan teases, "Well I am rich and handsome so they can't help but be interested in putting my picture on their tabloids."

She smiles at his humor. He says, "We are both away from Neptune and it just seemed to be a haven of trouble for us."

She nods agreeing with his assessment. Her life has really changed since she left Neptune. She thought it was because she was away from Logan but now she thinks he may have a point and it is because she is away from Neptune. It was a place where a lot of evil happened. Now only five years older she is protected from the public eye with her cases by being FBI. And Logan, although still a public figure, is now mostly in the tabloids when he does something new in his life. He is a young handsome famous bachelor who has dated starlets and models. He is not in the papers over his career or when he is out with friends. She can see that if he does marry and have children his life will become the life of an ordinary rich man and there are thousands of those. The public is interested in him because he has grown up in the limelight but the attention will be less and less as he ages.

Logan is very satisfied with how the conversation is going. He is getting her to see that a future with him will not be filled with paparazzi and public attention. He can see that she is going to mull that thought around in her head.

So far his plan to win Veronica is going well. He waited while they became closer friends and then put his plan into action. With a lot of prodding and cajoling he got her to move to LA and in with him. Slowly over the last month and a half he has shown her what her life as a rich woman would be like. He is getting her used to some of the perks of having money. She is adapting to life with him and was becoming more confident in dealing with his employees.

Quietly she is learning first hand that having money need not be a detriment to her life. She is slowly seeing that having luxuries does not always mean you turn into a rich, uncaring 09er type.

Through his contacts at work she is seeing wealthy people who are involved in the community and are making a difference. He remembers how Veronica got donations for the blood bank fundraiser and how she got the disabled FBI agent to become involved in the cause. The auction and dinner and dance had been a fun evening. Veronica had got to see Mac, Wallace, John and Casey. They had sat together and had really enjoyed the evening. None of them had found it difficult to believe that Veronica and Logan were together and engaged.

Veronica had confided before she moved to LA in Mac and Wallace that their engagement was pretend for his job. Logan had easily told them it was part of his plan to win Veronica over.

Mac now runs a successful computer programming firm and she has learned to enjoy her money. She is totally on board with his plan. Logan has found her to be a big source of advice on how to deal with Veronica's demons when it came to wealthy people and the life of the rich and famous.

Wallace had been a little reluctant but had seen the wisdom in exposing her to what her life would be like if they really got married. He knows how stubborn she can be about issues. He is concerned at how upset she will be when she finds out Logan has fooled her. He agreed to go along with Logan's plan only because he was reassured that Logan was totally serious about spending his life with Veronica. He also believed they belonged together.

Veronica looks up at Logan and says, "I guess it is just that I am not sure what kind of wedding to plan. I am not into what type of crystal or wine or food to have." She shrugs and says, "It just doesn't mean that much to me." Sighing she says apologetically, "I am not much of girl that way anymore. I doubt I will ever get married and I am not really interested in things."

Logan seeing her points says, "I see what you are saying Veronica but I think you are looking at it in the wrong way." He explains, "Mac has made a lot of money. She just buys what she likes and doesn't worry about whether people approve." He adds, "She buys expensive clothes and things now but really I think it is because the quality and fit are better not for the name."

Veronica nods in agreement. Mac doesn't follow conventional fashion trends. She buys good fitting suits for work and mostly chooses clothes she feels good in and that flatter her. She is still Mac but with nicer things. Her upbringing with her parents who are concerned about the environment has affected her. She has solar panels on her house and she has a hybrid car. She donates a lot of money to causes that help the oceans, rainforests and donated computers to a lot of schools in poorer districts.

Deciding to push things along a little Logan points out, "I think that you know what you like and what looks good on you as well." He teases, "How many designers is there that have a petit collection?"

Veronica frowns at his teasing but sees his point. Clothes that are fitted to petites are much more flattering to her physique and she feels more comfortable in them.

Logan says, "What you wear doesn't matter to me. I would much prefer you without any clothes."

He leers at her comically. Veronica has to smile. She has to admit that Logan has never told her what to wear or tried to change her style in any way.

She says, "I'll bet you would."

He puts his forehead to hers and says, "I enjoy the pluses of having money. I have a nice home, clothes and lots of toys but I especially like the free time that having money gives me."

Veronica tilts her head as she listens to what he is telling her. He says, "I don't have to clean my house, do yard work, shop, cook, wash my car or any time consuming chores."

He continues seeing she is listening. I can spend my free time how I like. I don't waste time with chores or worries about paying bills."

He adds, "There are lots of perks but there are lots of responsibilities." He talks to her about how owning businesses means you employ a lot of people and the viability of the company is important to the community as well. Veronica can see that his businesses pay taxes and his employees use their wages to buy homes, pay taxes, and buy food and clothes. She sees that Mac, John, Casey and Logan have to worry about keeping their companies viable and productive.

She also sees that there are a lot of people who would like to take advantage of their wealth.

She nods in understanding and agreement. She can see what he is telling her about his money. She says, "I guess I just don't feel like I belong in your world."

Carefully Logan says, "Actually Veronica you fit in very well."

Surprised she says, "I fake fit in."

Shaking his head he says, "Really Veronica what would be different if we were really together besides perhaps the perks of sharing a bed together?"

She looks shocked. Logan can see she has not given the matter much thought. She is role playing but has not identified that she is fitting in and would not find the transition to his lifestyle so difficult.

Logan is excited at how well this conversation is going. He knows that she will think over what he has said so he decides to lighten the mood.

He leans in and kisses down her cheek to her neck while sliding his arms around her pulling her closer. He teases the sensitive area behind her ear taking advantage of how she almost unconsciously tilts her neck giving him better access to the sensitive skin.

He says teasingly, 'Now about those perks of sharing a bed…"

She giggles and pushes him away. He laughs and pulls her in for a hug.

As the date for the meeting with the wedding planner gets closer, Logan can see that Veronica is becoming increasingly unsure about planning a wedding. He says, "Veronica let's just meet with Joanna. She will have suggestions for different kinds of weddings. He muses, "So many are out anyways so it shouldn't be that hard to narrow it down."

A little confused at what he is saying she asks, "Out?"

Logan looks at Veronica and explains, "Well it would be a nightmare to have a wedding outside for us. Worrying about the weather is tough but the constant helicopters would be make it hard to even hear our vows." He finishes, "It is a lot harder to guard the sides of a tent as people can sneak in easier."

Veronica frowns in thought. Logan can see her upset at the issue of the paparazzi. He walks over and pulls her in his arms and rests his head on the top of her head. Although she is upset at going to the wedding planner she relaxes into his hug.

Wisely Logan waits for her to relax in his arms. He then says, "So many venues will not be big enough for the people I work with and our friends. Actually one of my contacts is the manager of a hotel in downtown LA. He will be easy to work with. I'll talk to him before we meet with Joanna and get him to call her. Once we pick the place the rest should be pretty easy."

He sees her disbelief and says, "Really Veronica what makes a wedding different than a dinner party?" He adds, "I mean after the ceremony."

Veronica thinks about it and sees his point. It is really just a dinner and dance after the actual ceremony. .

Logan is glad he is holding her close so she cannot see his smile. He is thrilled at how well his campaigning to win Veronica over is going. He has less than a month to convince her that they should just get stay together. The only real worry he has is that she will be upset at the extent of his deceit. He really hopes that he will be able to find the perfect way to get her to see they belong together and the barriers of his money, the press and their earlier lack of personal communication are no longer important. He wants her to see they can make it together and they belong together.


	3. Chapter 3

Veronica stands in front of the mirror and looks at the rack of wedding dresses she is supposed to try on. She is not even sure how she ended up shopping with Elizabeth. When they had lunch last week, she confided she was overwhelmed with work and still had to buy her wedding dress. Of course Veronica's thought was that if she didn't buy the dress, she wouldn't be stuck with it when the wedding was cancelled.

The petite blonde had not counted on the older woman's enthusiasm for shopping with her. Excitedly she told Veronica that she didn't have any daughters of her own and her daughters in laws did not really include her in the wedding planning. She was thrilled to help.

George when his excited wife talked about Veronica and Logan's wedding could see that his wife was really enjoying helping Veronica with the wedding details. In fact he warned Logan that once Elizabeth got going, she was difficult to stop. Logan had surprised George by smiling wistfully and explaining that Veronica had been close to her mother and he thought she missed having her around. Meeting his new partner's gaze he said, "Elizabeth might be just what Veronica needs right now."

If this shopping spree were for her real wedding, Veronica would be happy to have Elizabeth go with her but she felt out of sorts buying an expensive dress for a wedding that wouldn't happen. The truth is she really likes Elizabeth and could see her being a surrogate mother of sorts.

Elizabeth wandered around the shop with the clerk and picked out a variety of styles for Veronica to try. She confidently explained, "You will know when it is the right dress."

Sucking her breath in, Veronica smiles weakly at the attendant and allows her to help her into the first gown. Elizabeth settled back with her glass of champagne and waited for Veronica to model the dresses.

Elizabeth, in fact, has been a lot of help with the wedding details. She has a lot of contacts and was able to help Veronica and Joanna find a florist who was thrilled to design the arch for the ceremony and the center pieces for the tables. She also insisted on planning and paying for the rehearsal dinner.

She was a whirlwind once she got going and Veronica wasn't sure what she felt about the whole situation. On one hand Veronica was relieved to have her help with the decision making but on the other hand, she was horrified that she was wasting Elizabeth's time.

Logan wasn't worried stating that once he was a partner, they could decide to postpone or break off the engagement and Elizabeth would understand.

So Veronica found herself trying on rack full of wedding dresses that Elizabeth and the attendant selected for her. When she was starting to get exhausted, she tried on a dress and immediately realized that Elizabeth was right; she would know the dress when she saw it.

When Elizabeth saw her in the dress she knew as well. She put her hand to her chest and said, "Oh Veronica!"

Gazing in the mirror, Veronica felt the tears prick her eyes as she looked at her reflection. She wished her mother and Lilly were there to see her in this dress. It was perfect! She didn't know that she could look this beautiful.

Feeling badly that Veronica didn't have family or close friends to be with her, Elizabeth had waved to the sales clerk and said, "This is the one. Now we need a veil or hat and some accessories."

With Elizabeth's help, Veronica found the perfect veil and accessories. Trying to derail the purchase, Veronica asked the price of the dress only to find that Logan had set up an account for her at the store.

Oblivious to Veronica's discomfort, Elizabeth grabbed Veronica's hand and pulled her to the underwear and nightgown section stating, "Let's get an outfit for your wedding night and perhaps some for the honeymoon."

Despite being upset about the prices, Veronica had dutifully picked out a few outfits for the honeymoon. Elizabeth helped Veronica select underwear that complimented the dress and a night gown for the wedding night. It was so soft and silky and clung to her curves. It was white with a satin robe over top.

Elizabeth took Veronica's hand and said, "This is your first night as a wife and you need to make it special."

Trying to get Elizabeth's mind off the honeymoon, Veronica invited her to a late lunch stating that she wanted to thank her for all her help. During the meal, Veronica decided to plant the seed in Elizabeth's head that things were not perfect between her and Logan. She confided that she was getting the idea lately that Logan wasn't sure about getting married.

Elizabeth looked at Veronica like she was crazy to even think such a thing and commented that she had nothing to worry about. Putting her hand over Veronica's on the table she said definitively, "I have never seen a man so set on marriage before."

Puzzled Veronica frowned and then listened as Elizabeth reassured her that Logan had signed the partnership papers and then had insisted that it not be announced for three months as he wanted to get married first. She said as her phone rang, "Your man did not want to be working hard learning his new role as a partner when he had just gotten back with you and was planning on marrying you."

She answered her phone and talked for a few minutes to one of the other women on the fundraising committee she was on.

Veronica sat there in shock as she realized the extent of Logan's duplicity. He had already signed the partnership papers. He didn't need her help at all. She had moved to LA and moved in with him to help him when he had already signed the partnership papers. He had been lying to her the whole time.

Almost automatically, Veronica thanked Elizabeth for her help and got up to leave. When she got out to her car she asked the driver to take her to see Wallace. While thinking about the last few months and the extent of Logan's plan, she realized that Wallace and Mac must have known. She is not sure about her father but she is absolutely sure her BFF knew.

One look at her as she entered his office and Wallace knew that Veronica was upset about something. He suspected she found out about Logan's plan. Wallace smart in the ways to handle one Veronica Mars, waits and says nothing.

She doesn't make him wait long, "How involved are you in whatever Logan is planning with me?"

"Superfly, I am not involved in any plan." Wallace answers truthfully.

She sees he is going to be honest with her so she checks, "But you knew?"

Wallace admits, "I probably only know part."

Veronica is quiet for a few seconds obviously deep in thought. Finally she asks succinctly, "Why?"

He knows she feels he betrayed her and in reality he probably did. He waves her to the couch in his office and then sits beside her. Facing her he starts the conversation they need to have, "Tell me what you know V and I will tell you what I know."

"Now you are going to be truthful? Now that I know?" she asks angrily.

He nods calmly and tells her, "I was not involved in any of the planning but I did find out before you."

Sighing Veronica tells Wallace that she found out that Logan had already signed the partnership papers when he contacted her to move to LA and persuaded her to play the role of his fiancé. It is clear that she is hurt by what she sees as everyone's deceit and very embarrassed at the how she was fooled. A little teary she chokes out, "I am such an idiot! I can't believe I didn't really suspect." Sniffing a little she admits, "I guess I was focused on trying to help him. He deserves this promotion."

Hearing her pain bothers Wallace. He wishes he never agreed to keep Logan's secret. Worried he takes her hand and tried to explain, "V, Logan loves you. He really wants you in his life." He adds quietly, "I think you know this."

Veronica doesn't nod or shake her head and it worries Wallace. She is deeply upset with her wayward pretend fiancé. Wallace tells her what Logan told her about his plan and how he wanted her to see that he had changed and that he can be the man she needs. He also wanted a chance for her to see that his money need not be a barrier between them. He finishes, "I am Logan's friend too. I never would have agreed to keep quiet if I didn't believe that he really loves you."

Veronica clarifies, "So he manipulated me into moving, agreeing to play the part of his fiancé so that I could see he has changed?"

Wallace smiles a little at her wording and says, "Well if you word it that way, it doesn't sound good."

"How should I word it?" she asks obviously still very upset.

Earnestly he points out, "The man loves you and went all out to get you. He has spent the last few months showing you what your life would be like as a wealthy woman. He has shown you his work and how he lives now. He has given you the chance to see what you will be getting if you do decide to be with him." Wallace adds, "I guess he thought it would be easier to persuade you by showing you instead of just telling you that he has changed."

She is looking down at her hands in her lap and he wishes he knew how to make her feel better. He gently lifts her chin and looks her in the eyes as he finishes, "I have been your friend for years. I am telling you as your friend that you should look into your heart. You know Logan. You know he doesn't want to hurt you and he loves you."

When she doesn't answer he hugs her and advises, "I think you love him V. He is the guy for you. It is time to settle it between you once and for all."

She hugs him back and begs, "No more lying to me Wallace. I have to be able to trust you."

He nods and agrees solemnly, "I'm sorry V. It won't happen again."

She nods in acceptance and leaves through the back door of his office. He notices that she left her purse and keys on his desk. He knows that she is going to lose her security team.

Wallace sighs and opens his cell phone depressing the button for Logan. When Logan answers he says without preamble, "She knows."

Logan catches on and asks, "Is she there now?"

"She left." Wallace adds, "Her security team doesn't know she is gone yet."

He sucks in a breath as he thinks about what Wallace is telling him. "Do you know where she has gone?"

Wallace tells Logan he doesn't know where she went and that she is upset with him for keeping the truth from her. Wallace says, "I'm out."

Understanding that Wallace id upset that Veronica is hurt, Logan merely requests, "Please ask her to call me if she talks to you."

Logan hangs up and calls Veronica's security officer to update him on Veronica's security breach and asks him to bring her purse and credit card back to base. He sits back in his office chair and closes his eyes. She's running and he knows he won't be able to find her. He has to hope that their time together has shown Veronica what he needs her to see.

"Jees V, is there something wrong with you?" Mac asks a little angrily.

Veronica looks in shock at her best girl friend. She can see the taller brunette is genuinely upset with her. Veronica arrived ready to confront Mac about keeping secrets from her and instead has angered her normally quiet friend.

To Veronica's consternation Mac, instead of apologizing is upset with her behavior. Stunned Veronica listens as Mac tells her that she lies to everyone for her own gain and they have all been very patient with her. She cites times that Veronica has used them for her own cases and times she has misled them.

Instantly angry and indignant, Veronica tells Mac that this situation is different as Mac has chosen to side with Logan and not deceive her. Hands on her hips Veronica spits out, "You let me uproot my life and move here when you knew Logan already had the partnership."

Looking her friend in the eye, Mac firmly says, "Yes, by all means be mad at me that I helped the only man you ever really let behind the walls around your heart." Obviously upset and getting into her rant she continues putting her hands out in front of her to be cuffed, "Throw me in best friend jail for caring about your happiness." Waving her arms she calms a little before adding, "You are hung up on money and of course, Logan and I get why but you are wrong about it." She takes a breath and continues, "There are lots of people who have money who are not pretentious, self absorbed, snobs."

Veronica not used to seeing her friend rant sits silently listening. Mac winds down, her voice quieter and her anger obviously dissipated, "Look V, I don't pretend to understand your relationship with Logan. I do know that he is the only guy you ever really loved. I know you miss him."

Rushing over what Veronica is opening her mouth to say, Mac continues, "I also know Logan truly loves you and he is a good man. So yes, I helped him. Maybe his plan was a little on the overkill side but that is Logan, isn't it?"

Miraculously Veronica is stunned silent. Mac never yells at her and having a friend she truly loves and trusts angry with her is unsettling. Veronica knows that Mac would not yell at her if she wasn't truly mad. Mac sits waiting while Veronica processes what she has said. Finally Veronica says, "I feel so stupid."

Moving over to hug her friend, Mac says, "Well a handsome, rich guy wants you so much that he is willing to be all over the tabloids as 'jilted at the altar' just to try and win you."

Veronica snorts at Mac's comment. The tabloids have been speculating that either Veronica or Logan broke their engagement.

"He's an idiot!" is Veronica's only comment.

Mac smiles as she can tell that Veronica while still upset at being deceived, is at least thinking about Logan's motivations.

Mac deadpans, "V, that man is your idiot."

Veronica has to smile at her comment. Logan can be impulsive and can make her crazy but Mac is right, he is never boring and he does love her.

Veronica looks at her friend and meets her gaze. She shares, "We have so many issues."

"V, I have two sets of parents. One had money and one didn't'. They are both happy." Mac goes on to say, "Money is not the real issue with you and Logan." She looks closely at her friend and points out, "Love is not the issue either because you know Logan loves you and you love him."

Veronica is quiet as she thinks about what Mac is saying.

Mac asks, "V, have you and Logan got along the last few months?"

Surprised at the question, Veronica slowly answers, "Yes. That is not the issue either."

"Well then, what is the issue?" Mac questions.

Veronica gets up and walks over to look out the window. Mac has an apartment on the twentieth floor of a high rise. The view is spectacular! After a few minutes Veronica shares, "I guess trust is the issue." She adds sadly, "We always seem to hurt each other."

"V, that is the past." Mac points out and then adds, "Logan risked his partnership by making them wait because although his career is important, he wants and needs you in his life. He sees his relationship with you as more important than his career and we both know how hard he has worked to establish himself despite his name and reputation."

Veronica does know how hard Logan has worked and how important his career is to him. She has to admit that she is blown away that he would put his partnership on hold to marry her.

Mac pulls Veronica from her thoughts by turning her to face her. She presses, "It's time to be honest with yourself now. Can you see yourself married to Logan? Do your lives fit together now? Do you love him?"

The upset blonde looks at her friend and thinks about her questions. She is really thrown by the idea that she believes that she and Logan do fit together now."

Mac seeing that Veronica is more open than usual to discussing her feelings, pushes further, "When you were picking out your wedding dress, who did you imagine you would walk down the isle towards? Who were you imagining would see you in the lingerie you bought?"

Mac is watching her friend closely and sees her eyes soften as she thinks about the questions. Her no-nonsense friend was imagining getting married to Logan. Going for the kill Mac takes a deep breath and grills, "I think you suspected that Logan was using this promotion to get closer to you. Maybe you didn't guess he already had the promotion but you are Veronica Mars. You think of all the angles. Admit it; you moved to LA to be nearer to Logan."

She can see Veronica is thinking about what she has said. Mac steps closer and hugs her only close girl friend. She says, "I hope that if I ever meet a guy who makes me feel like Logan makes you feel, you will do what it takes to make me see that all guys aren't Cassidy or Max."

"Oh Mac, there are great guys out there." Veronica pulls away a little and assures her friend.

Smiling Mac says, "Well I know that. I have two great fathers and your dad is awesome as well. I know Wallace and Daryl will be good husbands and fathers." She finishes meaningfully, "And I know Logan will be a good husband and father as well."

Veronica hugs Mac again and complains, "I am still upset you lied to me."

Laughing Mac says, "I know." She pulls away and looks at Veronica and placates jokingly, "You can punish me by picking a fluffy bridesmaid dress for me to wear."

Her eyes gleaming, Veronica slowly agrees, "That is a great idea!"

Mac groans but throws her arm around her friend and says, "Let's see what the talented Mrs. Allen left us for diner."

Veronica sits at the island in the kitchen holding her cup of coffee. Her tension has increased as she hears the garage door opening and closing after Logan drives in. She knows that although her car is in the garage, Logan will not suspect she is in the mansion. She has not been back for her car or her things since she found out the extent of Logan's plan to marry her.

To his credit, he left only one message for her on her phone. The phone message merely said he really wanted the chance to talk to her and tell her his side, explain why he acted like he did. He also told her he really loved her.

Logan is tired from his long day at work. He could put up with the tabloid speculation and the looks of sympathy or pity from his coworkers. Coming home to an empty house knowing that he may have lost his chance with Veronica has been intolerable. He misses her. He wishes he got a chance to tell her how he really feels and to ask her to make their fake marriage official.

Logan enters the kitchen through the garage door wondering what his housekeeper left him for supper. He's not really hungry but he has to eat. Looking up he stops suddenly and the breath leaves his body. Sitting at the island holding a cup of coffee is Veronica.

She looks really good in jeans and a t shirt. She has her hair pulled back into a low pony tail and she is wearing very little make up. She is just sitting there drinking a cup of coffee. He immediately sees that they are alone.

Setting his briefcase on the counter by the door, Logan walks over to where she is sitting and he sits across from her on the other side of the island. Unsure what to say, he greets her, "Veronica."

She smiles briefly and says just as formally, "Logan."

Logan looks at her waiting for her to speak. When she doesn't he says, "Thank you for coming back. I hope you'll give me the chance to explain."

She looks at him and then finally says, "You love me and knowing that I have issues with the paparazzi, marriage, your money and our relationship in general, you came up with the plan to trick me into helping you win a partnership you already had. All with the idea that while I was stupidly believing I was helping you, you would be able to show me that living in a mansion is not as bad as I thought, having money doesn't always make you an 09er and I can tolerate the press."

He inwardly grimaces at the way she is wording his plan but has to acknowledge that when she talks about it, his plan did have major flaws. He adds, "You forgot the part about where you would see that I have matured and I can be a guy you can count on."

Not expecting him to agree with her acidic assessment of his plan, she has to smile at his humor. She sobers and says, "I actually feel like I can count on you. That was never part of our problems."

He sighs a little as he acknowledges her statement. He puts his hands in front of him on the counter and says, "I wasn't trying to hurt you." He looks at her meeting her gaze. She can see the honesty in his eyes. He continues, "Instead of just words, I wanted to prove to you that money doesn't have to be an issue between us and that I am not the insecure, jackass I was in college."

"I can see you are not insecure anymore,' she acknowledges.

Logan smiles at her insinuation that he is a jackass. He says, "Touché Veronica." For the last two weeks Logan has wanted nothing more than to be able to talk to Veronica and now that they are talking, he is unsure what to say.

He is brought back by her voice, "You understand that deceiving me was a foolish choice, don't you?

He reaches across the table and gently picks up one of her hands. He talks to her about how he really does love her and he didn't know how he could get her to see he had grown up and he believed that they could be great together now. He tells her that he has come to see that words don't mean much to her and that actions do. He pleads, "Please don't interpret my actions as trying to put one over on you. I was honestly trying to show you."

She listens to his rationale for deceiving her and then finally admits, "I see some merit in your arguments but I can't abide by deceiving."

Logan nods and apologizes, "I'm sorry. I just didn't know how else to get through to you." He squeezes her hand and says, "I hoped that knowing my motivations were pure you would forgive the method."

When she doesn't immediately answer, Logan feels the anxiety rise. He hoped that putting his feelings on the line would be enough for her to forgive him. He hoped that she loved him enough to give their marriage a try.

Veronica looks into Logan's eyes. She clears her throat and says, "I have a question I want to ask and I need you to give me an honest answer."

Logan nods and waits for the question.

Veronica holding his gaze, asks, "Why didn't you push our physical relationship farther?"

A little surprised by her question he answers, "I wanted to." He turns her hand over and gently caresses her palm. He shares as he traces the curving lines, "The physical relationship between us has always been a real bond." He meets her gaze again and admits, "I feel more with you than with any other woman."

Veronica swallows but doesn't agree or disagree. Logan continues, "No matter what has happened between us, that part of our relationship has been honest. I couldn't make love with you without the honesty between us." He pauses and looks out the window for a second and then says, "I guess I felt like that part of our relationship should be pure."

When Logan looks back at Veronica she has a look on her face that Logan can't fully interpret. He can see that his words have affected her but there is something else there.

He waits for her to speak and tell him what she is thinking.

Finally when it is apparent that she is not going to speak Logan begs, "You are killing me here. Please say something."

She pulls her hand out of his and walks slowly around the island to stand in front of him. Feeling the importance of what she is going to say, Logan stands.

Veronica looks up at him and tells him gravely, "What you say to me right now is more important than the vows we may say in two weeks."

He looks down at her listening. She says formally but he can see it is from her heart, "Only you. 100% open. Good and Bad. I am committed to us. I love you."

Logan feels her vow to his soul. His tone also formal he repeats, "Only you. 100% open. Good and Bad. I am committed to us. I love you."

She smiles up at him and seeing her happiness, he smiles back. She lifts her face for his kiss which he is more than happy to give her.

_Two Weeks Later_

The music changes and everyone in the room turns and looks towards the back of the room. Cindy MacKenzie dressed in a beautiful green dress steps out and walks slowly up the isle to the music. She is stunned by the amount of people attending the ceremony. The ballroom is stunning decorated with hundreds of mini lights and roses. At the front of the isle she sees Logan waiting and she smiles at him. It is hard not to smile. Logan is so obviously happy to be getting married and although they are young, it seems like this day has been a long time coming.

Next walking up the isle is Wallace Fennel who manages to look comfortable and confident. He has a rose in his buttoner. When he gets to the front he smiles and nods at Logan and stands next to Mac.

Out of sight around the corner stand Veronica and Keith Mars. Veronica looks at her father who says, "This is it honey."

Veronica touched, smiles at the man who has always been there for her. A little tearfully she says, "I love you so much Dad."

He gets a little teary and tells her, "I love you too."

When the music changes for the bride to walk up the isle, there is a commotion at the side of the hall. Looking over, the congregation and wedding party can see that the pianist is being asked to stop.

Keith, hearing the awkward silence, starts to walk over to the doorway to see what is going on. Veronica puts her hand on his arm and says, "Wait Dad."

Puzzled Keith looks down at his daughter and asks, "What is the matter? Are you having second thoughts?"

She smiles a happy smile and reassures her beloved father, "No. There is going to be a change in the music for us to walk up the isle."

Immediately suspicious, Keith asks, "Veronica, what are you up to?" She smiles serenely as she hears the gasps of the invited guests and the rustle of what she imagines is two hundred or more people whipping out their cell phone cameras.

The congregation can see that Logan does not know what is going on and neither does the rest of the wedding party. Mac, Wallace, Dick and John just smile. They knew that everything wasn't going to go according to plan and this is obviously something that Veronica has cooked up for Logan.

Logan, standing at the front of the isle, looks over at the piano as the guy he hired is asked very firmly by a man in a suit to stop playing. He briefly wonders what is going on and he sees the wedding planner talking into her mic and looking upset.

The cloth partition Veronica had requested the hotel place at the front of the ballroom opens and the crowd gasps as a famous singer is standing there with her band.

Logan recognizes the singer immediately and watches in shock as she starts to sing. It is one of her first hits about a woman who never thought she would marry but decides she will risk it for this one man. Logan is a man who is rarely surprised and well known for being able to mask his emotions. At this moment he is absolutely stunned. He stares at the band as he grasps what the song means. Veronica, who guards her emotions and feelings like a mother bear protects her cubs is openly admitting that she loves him and would only marry him.

Logan is watching the singer as his mind processes what is happening. After the first verse and chorus is over, he looks to the back of the hall when he hears some of the guests gasp. His breath catches in his chest. Veronica is standing there with her father and she looks stunningly beautiful. She walks towards him slowly and surely and Logan has to swallow a few times at the emotions rising in his chest. The fact she agreed to marry him is amazing but the idea that she chose a song to walk up the isle to him that tells everyone that he is the only guy for her is….. well the ninth wonder of the world.

Veronica and Keith arrive at the top of isle as the song is finishing. Veronica smiles at the singer who nods and smiles back at her. Logan notices the interaction but at that moment is much more interested in looking at his fiancé. As planned in the rehearsal, Keith responds to the minister and agrees to give Veronica away. He gently puts her hand in Logan's and the couple turns to face the front. The ceremony is brief and traditional despite Logan's threats to write his own vows. Logan looks down at Veronica and is deeply touched by her beauty and the tears in her eyes as the ceremony draws to a close.

As soon as the minister pronounces them husband and wife, Logan pulls her into his arms. Instead of kissing her immediately he gently reaches up and caresses her cheek. He quietly tells her, "I didn't know I could be this happy."

She smiles up at him and says, "Me either."

She then spoils the poignant moment by pursing her lips and says, "Growing old here Echolls." The bridal party laugh and watch as Logan leans in and kisses his bride.

Veronica has to admit that once the ceremony and pictures were over, Logan did ensure that the rest of the wedding was really a dinner and party. There were no speeches at the supper and it was a relaxed dinner.

When the first dance started, Logan escorted Veronica onto the dance floor. He looked happy and relaxed pulling her into his arms and expertly dancing her around the dance floor. Veronica glowed and easily followed Logan's lead.

He is so profoundly grateful that this day has happened. He has the partnership he has wanted and worked so hard for and he has the home he dreamed of when he moved away from Neptune. He has really good friends that he can trust and he knows care about him. He has a father that is a good man and loves him like a son. Now he has the wife he has dreamed of having. Most importantly he is not afraid that it is going to be taken away from him; like he doesn't really deserve it. He is just happy.

After a few turns around the dance floor he questions his new wife, "I'm curious. How did you get Andrea to sing at our wedding?" He pauses and guesses, "She owed you a favor?"

Veronica smiles a little and leans closer to her husband saying, "Actually I paid her concert fee to come for the one song." Logan looks at Veronica in total shock. She elaborates, "Unlimited Black AmEx Baby!"

His mouth drops open at her tone. His Veronica actually used wealth to get what she wanted. Finally he laughs out loud. God he loves her! She smiles at him and says when he sobers. "It was worth every penny to me to show you how much you mean to me." She reaches up and caresses his cheek, "You are so open, so easy with your words and your emotions." She pauses and adds, "I just wanted to do something big to show you what I feel." He looks down at her and sees the truth in her eyes and he finally understands; Veronica truly, utterly, and totally loves him. Unable to think of anything to say, he leans down and kisses her. Then, bursting with happiness, he picks her up and spins her around and around.

Keith Mars watches his beloved daughter dance with her new husband and he can't even describe how he feels. His new son-in-law has always been open about his feelings for Veronica. Although Keith knows that Veronica loves Logan, deep inside he has been worried that their marriage will not be one of the ones that survives. He has never seen the commitment in her he feels is necessary for a couple to make it. Today walking up the isle with Veronica to Andrea's song, reassured Keith as probably nothing else would. He is one of the few people that truly understands what a big deal it is for her to walk up the isle to that song, in front of everyone she knows and the world. Seeing the love on both their faces, he thinks that they might be ready for forever. He smiles to himself; he will keep gun polished anyways.


End file.
